I am supposed to be staying at home, or going to the library to prepare myself for my final exams due on 9th June. Instead of that, I am going off for June camp at Pandan Beach, Lundu tomorrow. Staring at my Scout uniform, I guess this will be my last time wearing it within the next half of the year. No more chances once I am off to Perth.
Looking at it makes me flash back many memories of my Scouting days, all those memories with my brothers of Scouts, things we did together, road we walked through together. Come to think of it, Scouting has already been with me for half of my lifetime. I am 22, and I had been in Scout since I was 10 years old, more than half of my lifetime.
Guess I am gonna miss Scouting once I am away. Its already part of my life..!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Off for June Camp
After Assignments....
Had been slacking for quite badly after I handed in all my assignments for the semester last Friday. Went for Alvin Leong's Photography Workshop last Saturday at Kubah National Park.
Slacking till I was so reluctant to study for MDM test on Tuesday. Only flip thru the lecture notes early in the morning of Tuesday. It really was like holidays for me after all the assignments!...I NEED A BREAK!
Wednesday, I flew off to KL with mum and Jenny to attend GRTCA course scheduled on Thursday. The course on Thursday was really an eye opener for me. I am glad to have a chance to get together with professionals around Malaysia and know their working patterns and lots of things, standards. Way professional people talk, work. And also not least, meeting up with my old friend, Kah Fye, whom I had not meet for ages. Its nice to have at least meet up with him before I leave to Perth. No pics for the GRTCA course though. SOrry...
Pictures below best explain what I did for the past few days.
I Like this shot of KLCC at night. Guess wad, it took me 40 minutes to walk from Bintang walk to KLCC and another 30 minutes to walk back!...precious shot i guess...
Dinner with mum, Jenny, Francis and spouce and his relatives and Mr. Chen. Where am I? Holding the camera of course.
Below are shots taken during the workshop conducted by Alvin Leong. Most precious and practical theory I learnt: rule of 3rd. 
Friday, May 23, 2008
UMNO vs PAHAB
PAHAB ( Parti Adullah Haji Ahmad Badawi )
Are these people supporting UMNO or PAHAB? Since when we have PAHAB in our nation? Since when are we ruled by PAHAB and not BN that consists of UMNO?
Disloyal to the leader of UMNO means disloyal to the party? Hows is this being interpreted? Are we loyal to a party? or to the leader himself? If disloyalty to the leader means disloyal to the party, then why not just form a party under his name and not use another name for the party? I guess now we should consider UMNO vs PAHAB.
I was laughing when I read this article from Tun Mahathir's blog. He is certainly quite true. We arent living in a autocratic nation. We have the right to support anyone we like. In a party where we must pledge loyalty to the leader, isnt it just the same as Hitler's Nazi Germany? Are we supposed to shout 'Hail Badawi' as what the Germans shouted 'Hail Hitler' during the days of the Third Reich? OMG, I just cant believe my eyes what is happening in UMNO. It is just like an Hitler style administration. Get out of the party if you are disloyal to the leader. Its just because you are in Malaysia, Tun Mahathir. We stil got certain laws forbiding them to chop your head off and throw you in the street in pieces. If you were in those ZAMAN KESULTANAN MELAYU ages, or KETUANAN MELAYU ages, or there is just so Wild Wild West in this nation, or some crazy MP simply pass the law to permit the killing of disloyal party members, YOU WILL BE DEAD!. We are still way way behind Wawasan 2020. Progress? Their mindset are still in those days where you must pledge loyalty to the party leader.
Failing to do so means disloyalty. No wonder in Malay, government is spelled as Ke-Raja-an. It simply means similiar to ruling of the king. King where got party? Just obey and pledge loyalty to him no matter what he does. U are just under one umbrella of the Ke-raja-an. Must pledge loyalty to the leader. Else, not loyal to the party.! What a Malaysian theory.
God Save Malaysia, and Bless her in progressing and achieving Wawasan 2020.
Excerpted from Tun Mahathir's blog:
Kesetiaan kepada UMNO
1. Saya kurang faham dakwaan pemimpin-pemimpin tertentu UMNO bahawa mengkritik atau mendesak Presiden UMNO berhenti bermakna tidak setia kepada UMNO.
2. Tun Razak dan beberapa pemimpin UMNO yang lain telah tidak bersetuju dengan yang di Pertua UMNO Dato Onn Jaafar berkenaan dengan cadangannya untuk buka UMNO kepada semua kaum sehingga Dato Onn terpaksa undur.
3. Apakah sikap dan perbuatan Tun Razak dan rakan-rakannya ketika itu bermakna mereka tidak sayang dan tidak setia kepada UMNO?
4 Pada 1969-71 Tun Razak dan lain-lain pemimpin UMNO secara tidak langsung tidak bersetuju dengan kepimpinan Tunku Abdul Rahman dan Tunku telah undur diri.
5. Apakah Tun Razak kerana menolak kepimpinan Tunku, iaitu tidak setia kepada Tunku sebagai Presiden UMNO maka dianya tidak setia kepada parti?
6. Pada tahun-tahun 1986-7 [Tun] Musa Hitam, Tengku Razaleigh dan DATO SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI bertindak untuk menjatuhkan saya sebagai Presiden UMNO. Mereka jelas tidak setia kepada saya.
7. Apakah saya tuduh mereka tidak setia kepada parti? Apakah mereka dilarang berjumpa ahli-ahli UMNO? Apakah mereka ditegah berkempen untuk memburukkan nama saya, tidak undi saya? Apakah tentangan terhadap saya dianggap oleh saya dan oleh mereka sebagai tidak setia ada parti?
8. Sepatutnya setelah Dato Seri Abdullah kalah dia tidak diterima masuk UMNO Baru kerana tidak setia kepada saya.
9. Tetapi dia diterima masuk dan dibenar bertanding jawatan ahli Majlis Tertinggi dan kemudian Naib Presiden.
10. Jika saya pegang kepada tafsiran sesiapa yang tidak setia kepada saya tidak setia kepada parti, apakah akan saya lantik sekali lagi Dato Seri Abdullah sebagai Menteri dan kemudian sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri, dan seterusnya.
11. Saya tak suruh ahli UMNO sokong apa yang saya lakukan.
12. Tetapi fikirkanlah akan kewajaran dakwaan sesiapa yang tidak setia kepada Dato Seri Abdullah adalah tidak setia kepada parti UMNO.
13. Apakah UMNO adalah Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi adalah UMNO?
14. Jika Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dengan UMNO adalah sama dan satu, maka parti ini bukan lagi UMNO. Apa perlunya saya jadi ahli dalam parti Abdullah Ahmad Badawi?
15. Hanya mereka yang berkepentingan sahaja yang menyebar dan mendokong konsep UMNO adalah Dato Seri Abdullah dan tanpa kesetiaan kepada Dato Seri Abdullah maka ahli tidak setia kepada UMNO.
Isnt this just so funny? What a joke that arises from PAHAB and his theory of stereotyping.
Finally.....!
Finally, I finish off my last piece of assignment for the semester and handed it in, 10 minutes before the due TIME today! Felt so nice, so unburdened after the last piece is finished.
Although I will be having an exam next Tuesday, I am just not bothered to flip my books and start doing my revision. Its like holidays just started.! Handed in my assignment on 1150hrs, talk in the library till 1300hrs, went to briefing for tomorrow's photography workshop, lunch, wash car and back home!..
Whoa, I just like to do those things. So carefree..Finally I can spend time reading my camera manual, read photography blogs and things I like! So carefree! Its like holidays though it isnt.!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Weepy Days
Monday, May 19, 2008
Moment of Silence for those who perished in the Quake
19th May 2008, 1428-1432hrs, the time when the quake hit on 12th May 2008, ten of thousands of Chinese people gathered at TianAnMen Square and observed a moment of silence to mourn for those who who perished in the quake.
The chinese flag was flown at half mast across the globe. Millions across the Chinese Mainland observed a moment of silence. Air raid siren, horns of any sort of vehicles was sounded for that period of 4 minutes as a reminder of the long and destructive quake. Olympic Torch Relay was also halted for 3 days together with any public recreational activities.
News also comes that the quake was actually 8.0 on the Ritcher Scale instead of 7.8 degrees. Watching the news these few days was really heart-wrenching. Survivors are still being extracted this morning around 10am.
The quake may be destructive in nature. Nevertheless, it brings people, especially Chinese around the globe together. Donations comes in from across the globe, concerts are held to raise funds. All sorts!
It also proves the Chinese government of the WORTHY and EFFICIENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES AND MANAGEMENT. Aids to those who are affected arrived within hours. Hundred thousands of the Chinese PLA was also deployed to help in SAR operations. Where road transport is cut off, paratroopers are deployed, unbelievable numbers of helicopters are used to transport troops and humanitarian aids to those affected, especially to Wenchuan, the epicenter of the quake, in which road is totally cut off.
It really touches me of what humanity can do in times of great needs, where everyone stand along together, side by side, shoulders to shoulders digging stones, rubbles with their bare hands, trying their best, not giving up hope in search for survivors and racing with time.
May God bless those who are affected to be strong in their coming days.
China announces three-day mourning for quake victims, suspension of torch relay
The State Council, the Cabinet, on Sunday ordered a nationwide display of respect for the dead. The Olympic torch relay will also be suspended from Monday to Wednesday, the Olympic organizing committee said.
China's diplomatic missions abroad were also ordered to observe the order, and condolence books are to be opened in the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates around the world.
The public are asked to stand in silence for three minutes from 2:28 p.m. on Monday, while automobiles, trains, and ships would sound their air sirens.
The order was issued in a brief circular that contained no further details.
The Beijing Olympic torch relay Ningbo Organizing Committee also announced Sunday that the torch relay would be put off for three days until May 22.
Lao Jinlong, vice president of the Ningbo Municipal Sports Bureau in east China's Zhejiang Province, said "All the public entertainment activities will be cancelled during the three days of mourning, including the torch relay."
The Ningbo leg is the fourth leg of the torch relay in Zhejiang province.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake rose to 32,477 nationwide as of 2 p.m. on Sunday, while the number of injured reached 220,109, according to the emergency response office under the State Council.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Bus company defies directive
KUALA LUMPUR: Three days after bus company Syarikat Konsortium Bas Ekspres Semananjung Bhd was grounded, at least two of its vehicles were seen operating at the Puduraya bus station here.
Oblivious passengers were seen boarding the buses to Taiping and Ipoh. The commuters said they were not aware that the bus company had been grounded for a month from Wednesday because their vehicles had been involved in a number of road accidents.
Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board chairman Datuk Markiman Kobiran said he had instructed the Road Transport Department to seize any of the buses that operated in defiance of the suspension of the company's 232 buses.
“We will not compromise on this,” he said.
On Friday, the department impounded two more buses belonging to the company as they were still in service.
JPJ Director of Enforcement Salim Parlan told Bernama the department had earlier impounded three buses in Johor, Kedah and Malacca.
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said the bus company was not one of its members but that he felt sad for the passengers.[ Feeling sad for the passengers will not help them, preventing them from dying in case of accidents.!] Is this what we call NATO NATION?? (No Action, TALK ONLY!) Bullshit!
“Employees would also suffer as it is not known if the company can afford to pay them,” he said.
Excerpted from The Star, 18th May 2008
Malaysia stil got LAW?? I DONT think so.. rampant parking, defying orders, manipulating courts, judges, corruption....U name it, semua MALAYSIA ADA dan Boleh!...Companies continue to operate eventhough it is announced in papers that the bus company is not allowed to operate, with its license suspended due to its high involvement in fatal accidents.
Where is the enforcement? Or is there no enforcement at all? Someone on top speaks, the ones below him just take it as if he is farting.!
THIS IS MALAYSIA! THIS IS HOW THINGS IS DONE HERE! CAN GO AGAINST THE LAW! AS LONG AS U HAVE AGONG!
OMG! Someone please stop all these
Saturday, May 17, 2008
China quake victims flee 'flood' - risk of dam falling apart?
There has been panic in the quake-hit Chinese city of Beichuan after reports the entire city could be flooded by a river bursting its banks.
The BBC's Paul Danahar in Beichuan says there was a stampede as thousands of people fled to higher ground.
The whole city was evacuated, forcing the suspension of all rescue efforts, our correspondent says.
Beichuan is close to the epicentre of Monday's devastating quake, in which it is feared about 50,000 people died.
On Saturday the number of confirmed deaths rose to 28,881. The Chinese authorities say that about five million people have been made homeless by the disaster.
Our correspondent in Beichuan says the city went from a scene of rescue and relief into mayhem.
"Everybody just ran - rescuers, army relief teams, medical workers and locals - and people who were in the process of being rescued had to be left behind.
"We were in the process of filming a man about to be pulled out after hours of digging and the rescue team had to abandon him and run."
The Xinhua news agency warned that a lake, formed by landslides blocking a river, "may burst its bank at any time".
However, the authorities later said the city was not under threat from the water.
Our correspondent returned to the heart of the city as the rescue effort resumed, but he says the majority of people are remaining on the surrounding hillsides.
"It is not surprising," he says. "This entire community has been shaken to its core, they are surrounded by unstable buildings which threaten to topple at any moment, and the people have been deeply traumatised by what has happened."
The Chinese government has organised a massive search and rescue effort, which has garnered some success.
On Saturday, several people were dug out of the rubble, including a 52-year-old man who was pulled free after 117 hours buried in debris.
Xinhua also reported that a German tourist was pulled from the rubble - though it later revised its story, saying the mountain climber had not been buried, just cut off by a landslide, and that he made his own way to safety.
Mass graves
Rescue teams from South Korea, Singapore and Russia have joined Japanese and Taiwanese experts taking part in the massive search.
The specialist teams are equipped with sniffer dogs, and fibre-optic cameras and heat sensors to detect people buried under the rubble.
But the number of people being pulled out alive are few and increasingly it is dead bodies which are being retrieved.
The authorities have resorted to burying the bodies in mass graves in an effort to prevent disease.
People in the quake zone are being told to wear face masks and disinfectant teams are out in force.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Chengdu says that five days on China's efforts are now squarely focused on getting help to those who survived the earthquake.
Rubble from destroyed buildings is being taken away and streets are being cleared.
In some of the worst hit areas, people now have tents, fresh water, and something to eat. But in more inaccessible parts of the province, the authorities are still struggling to get help to survivors.
Race against time
China's president has urged rescuers throughout the earthquake-struck province of Sichuan to race to save lives.
Visiting the south-western province, Hu Jintao said "time is pressing" during the effort's "most crucial phase".
"Although the time for the best chance of rescue, the first 72 hours after an earthquake, has passed, saving lives remains the top priority of our work," Mr Hu told distraught relatives of those still missing.
On Friday, Mr Hu toured Mianyang, one of the cities worst-hit by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake, where he viewed relief efforts and met rescue workers.
Correspondents say the Chinese president's presence in the region appears to reflect the level of government concern over the scale of the disaster.
Premier Wen Jiabao said the quake was the most destructive and widespread since the People's Republic was founded in 1949.
Its scale was greater than that of the Tangshan earthquake in 1976 which left 240,000 dead, he said.
Pictures of the Quake Zone:
God bless those who are affected by the quake.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
China quake toll 'to top 50,000' - destructive power of mother earth
The warning came after the government confirmed the death toll had risen to 19,500, as rescue efforts continue to search for thousands still trapped.
About 10 million people across Sichuan province have been directly affected by the 7.9 quake, state media said.
China is mobilising 30,000 extra troops to Sichuan to help the 50,000 already involved in rescue efforts.
China says it will accept foreign aid and has agreed to help from rescue teams from Japan and its rival Taiwan.
Correspondents say the death toll, which rose from 14,866 on Wednesday, is expected to rise further as rescue workers dig more victims out of collapsed buildings.
People are still being pulled out alive - a three-year-old girl and a pregnant woman were both found alive on Wednesday.
Desperate search
The BBC's James Reynolds, in Hanwang, says rescuers and relatives of those trapped reject suggestions time has run out for finding survivors alive.
At Juyuan Middle School, near Dujiangyan about 50km (32 miles) from the epicentre, 900 children were trapped in the rubble. Parents frantically pull away the debris from the ruins.
"It's not that we don't trust the rescuers," local resident Deng Yuehong told Associated Press Television on Thursday.
They have done a lot of work to search for survivors but they couldn't search all the places in such a large area here and there may be some places that they ignored.
"We just want to have another try to see if there are any bodies of school children buried here."
The Chinese government has appealed to the public to donate basic equipment to help in the rescue operation. It said hammers, cranes, shovels and rubber boats were urgently needed.
The health ministry says there will also be an increasing demand for medicines and sophisticated medical equipment as the rescue operations continue and survivors are treated for injuries such as bone fractures, crushed internal organs and kidney failure.
More than 10,000 medical workers, police and volunteers have been sent to Beichuan County, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sichuan province, where up to 5,000 are thought to have died.
Appeal
Deputy health minister Gao Qiang says more than 64,040 people have been treated since Monday's earthquake - 12,587 of them are seriously injured, Xinhua reports.
Officials say about 10 million people have been affected by the quake, many are in refugee camps, without proper shelter, food or clean water.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have issued an emergency appeal for medical help, food, water and tents.
Gu Qinghui, a member of the Red Cross assessment team told AP television: "I just came back from Beichuan County this morning, basically the whole county has been destroyed, there is no Beichuan County anymore.
"No one knows what has happened in particular areas, in the villages. I am sure that the numbers (death tolls) will just go up continuing day by day."
Olympic tribute
Tonnes of aid has been dropped from aircraft into isolated or inaccessible places in the province.
China says its contributions to the relief effort, in both cash and goods to the quake-hit areas, had risen to 1.34bn yuan ($192m).
Members of the public have also donated millions of yuan in both cash and goods.
Organisers of the Beijing Olympics say a minute's silence will be held at each stage of the torch relay, which is making its way through China.
Donation points are being set up along the route. It was due to leave Jinggangshan in Jiangxi province on Thursday.
Excerpted from BBC News, 15th May 2008
There are also news that the whole town being wiped out from the face of Earth!..God bless those who are trapped under the massive rubble and help those through those who lost their loved ones......
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thousands dead in Chinese quake
A powerful earthquake has killed at least 8,500 people in China's south-western Sichuan province, up to 5,000 of them in just one county.
Many more are feared killed and injured in other parts of the country after the quake, which had a magnitude of 7.8, struck at 1428 local time (0628 GMT).
At least 50 bodies have been recovered from the rubble of a school where an estimated 900 students were buried.
President Hu Jintao has urged "all-out" efforts to rescue victims.
The epicentre of the earthquake was about 92km (57 miles) from Chengdu, Sichuan's provincial capital.
Because the earthquake struck in the middle of the day, it is feared that many schoolchildren may be among the victims.
One of the worst-hit areas appears to be Beichuan county, part of the Mianyang city municipal area, about 50km from the epicentre.
Some 80% of buildings there were reported to have been destroyed, leaving between 3,000 and 5,000 people dead and up to 10,000 injured.
Meanwhile hundreds of people were reported to have been buried in two collapsed chemical plants in Shifang in Sichuan, and at least five other schools were reported to have collapsed.
And there are fears the death toll could turn out to be much higher once the damage in Wenchuan county - the epicentre - is assessed, says BBC China analyst Shirong Chen.
The area is very rugged, full of mountains and valleys and a number of roads are connected with bridges from one mountain top to the next, he says.
Wenchuan county is also home to the Wolong Nature Reserve, China's leading research and breeding base for endangered giant pandas. The centre could not be reached by phone, it was reported.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to Chengdu immediately, said China needed "calm, confidence, courage and strong leadership".
"We will definitely overcome this major disaster," he promised.
US President George W Bush expressed condolences to victims' families, while Japan offered to send aid.
There were harrowing reports from the scene of a school collapse in Dujiangyan city - about 100km (60 miles) from the epicentre - where 900 students were buried and 50 dead.
Teenagers buried beneath the rubble of the three-storey Juyuan Middle School building were struggling to break free, while others were crying out for help, state news agency Xinhua reported.
Parents were watching as cranes excavated the site. Villagers rushed to help with the rescue.
Two girls said they escaped because they had "run faster than others".
Fast response
Dozens of aftershocks have been reported since the quake, which was felt in Beijing, 1,545km (960 miles) away, and the Thai capital Bangkok, 1,800km (1,200 miles) away.
It was the strongest to hit Sichuan province in more than 30 years, Xinhua said.
Eyewitness Gilles Barbier: 'It was very scary'
The province is the most populated part of China - home to 87 million people.
State television said the quake had not caused major damage to Chengdu, which has a population of more than 10 million people, or to the nearby Three Gorges Dam.
Troops and helicopters have been sent to help with relief work.
The BBC's Quentin Somerville says this is probably the the most significant natural disaster to hit China in recent memory, but that the Chinese army has a good record of mobilising and getting people to safety.
He also says it is one of the most open and speedy responses to an emergency he has ever seen from Chinese state media.
The quake was felt as far away as Beijing, he says, meaning millions of people will feel connected to the disaster and will be watching TV screens closely to see how the government responds.
After Cyclone Nargis, here comes Earthquake. Is mother Earth showing us symthoms of illness? May God Bless those affected by these horrible disasters.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Ying Ying drama rages
PENANG: A school play purportedly based on the life of three-year-old murder victim Shearwel Ooi Ying Ying has left the girl’s mother and grandparents outraged.
Ying Ying’s mother, Jess Teh Hooi Wen, 29, said she was very upset by the ending which depicted her burning in Hell.
“One of the scenes even depicted the ghost of my daughter accusing me of being a bad mother who had failed to take good care of her,” said Teh.
The play won a school drama competition on Sunday.
“I do not blame the students but the teacher who came up with the script,” said Teh, adding that she was just starting to get on with her life again.
Ying Ying was believed to have been killed in an apartment in Bandar Baru Air Itam last July 5, burnt and her bone fragments strewn in various part of Air Itam, including a river.
On March 6, the case against Ying Ying’s alleged murderer Ong Chee Leong, 29, was withdrawn after he was found hanged in a prison clinic on Feb 18.
“My parents are slowly getting over Ying Ying’s death but the play has caused them so much hurt.”
Teh is considering taking legal action against the school.
Her father Teh Tatt Beng, 53, asked how the school could pass judgment on his daughter when the case about her lodging a false missing person’s report would only be mentioned next month.
“Jess told me the stage curtains were stuck for 30 minutes before the play started. I feel that Ying Ying must have protested against the play in her own way.
“The drama teacher approached me on Friday to ask my permission to base her play on my granddaughter and I told her no. Still, she went ahead.
“It is not good to use my family’s tragedy as entertainment. I just want to put this episode of my life behind me,” he said.
The school headmaster, who declined to be named, denied that the play was based on any actual incident while the drama teacher could not be reached for comment.
Is this funny? Playing a drama over someone's cruel death? What on earth is happening to people on this earth...
A morning wasted
A morning wasted. Arriving to uni today, expecting to attend a 0830 class. Got in, sat down and the lecturer came in. She then asked us, 'you guys want to good or bad news?' . Of course we want the good. The good news is 'There is no more lecture'. The syllabus is done.
I anticipated a full packed day today, scheduled from 0830-1730 non stop of lectures and tutorials. Who noes, I am then given 2 hours break for a heavier breakfast though I had a light one earlier on at home. Well, Its a morning wasted and my schedule messed up.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Life Is About Choices
Life Is About Choices
Life is all about choices,
Good or Bad, Right or Wrong,
Your Destiny will unfold according the the choices you make.